Hollywood
‘We Love You, You Bastard’ wins Audience Award at Wave Film Festival
NEW DELHI: Claude Lelouch’s heartfelt family saga We Love You, You Bastard won the Audience Award at Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s (SBIFF) new summer film showcase “The Wave Film Festival”.
This first edition of this five-day Festival at Riviera Theatre of Santa Barbara in California focused solely on an eclectic mix of eleven brand new French films.
We Love You, You Bastard (Salaud, on t’aime) is Claude Lelouch’s 44th feature film. French rock icon Johnny Hallyday plays Jacques, a retired war photographer attempting to live a peaceful life in the Alps. With a new girlfriend, Nathalie, he appears content, but his old friend Frédéric, played by another singing idol Eddy Mitchell, knows better. There is a little matter of four daughters, each one from a different conquest, each one estranged from him, and each leaving their shadow on Jacques’ emotional life. Realising that reconciliation is the thing Jacques craves most, Frédéric who is a doctor, concocts a little lie to convince the daughters to visit their absentee father. As the family gathers, accounts are settled through tears and laughter, and the lie gets harder and harder to retract.
SBIFF executive director Roger Durling said, “Due to its success with over three thousand attendees, we have decided to return next spring with a Spanish and Latin America edition, along with the second French Wave next July. I am also thrilled to name long time SBIFF programmer Mickey Duzdevich as The Wave Festival director. As we approach our 30th anniversary, it’s fantastic that we’re able to expand SBIFF’s vision and programming.”
Duzdevich added, “The Wave was a huge success and left patrons with a new joy for French cinema. It was a delight to bring the culture of France to our own Riviera and give the moviegoer an enhanced experience. We look forward to the future of The Wave Film Festival and we’re excited to share the beauty of cinema from all over the world.”
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is presented by UGG Australia whose Pavilion acts as the core of the Festival and will celebrate its 30th Anniversary from 27 January to 7 February, 2015. Dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema, SBIFF will offer 12 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums that range from American indie films to world cinema and everything in-between.
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
